Wildcard players come up trumps

The stars of Terry Johnson's tragi-comedy 'Insignificance' may or may not be figments of the imagination, but in Wildcard Theatre Company's hands they are totally real.

Albert Einstein, Senator McCarthy, Joe DiMaggio and especially Marilyn Monroe just come to life in this electrifying production directed by Slough's own Andrew Potter.

Against a backdrop of lit skyscrapers and a stained glass window depicting Monroe and DiMaggio in the Garden of Eden, the four historical figures find themselves together in Einstein's New York hotel room - and it makes for explosive drama.

The award-winning play needs a bit of concentration.

Nevertheless is does serve up moments of high

comedy and enlightenment, as well as tragedy and drama - but the whole thing could so easily go over some people's heads without the excellent performances from WTC.

Despite his lack of years, Chris Myles' sterling effort to play the 70-year-old Einstein does pay off; Fidel Nanton manages to blend DiMaggio's macho aggressiveness with his insecurities to create a very explosive character, while Iain Armstrong's portrayal of McCarthy is so relaxed and loose yet hard-hitting, it's an absolute joy.

Daniele Sanderson created the greatest transformation for me, however, probably because Monroe is the best known and most catalogued character, but even more so because, when she took her curtain

call, she had become herself again and the difference in her persona was quite tangible.

Her mannerisms, from the sexy wiggle, the pouting lip and the vulnerability to the breathy voice and the giggle, are just perfect and she also contributes to the comic element when explaining to Einstein the theory of relativity.

Luckily for those of you who didn't see this production at the Wycombe Swan Town Hall, 'Insignificance' is doing an extensive tour of the local area, starting on May 10th and 11th at Windsor Arts Centre (tel 01753 859336); May 23 at 21 South Street Reading (tel 0118 960 6060) and Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead on May 26 (tel 01628 788997).